Block copolymer coupling reactions

Anionic polymerisation techniques aie one of many ways to synthesise a special class of block copolymers, lefeiied to as star block copolymers (eq. 25) (33). Specifically, a "living" SB block is coupled with a silyl haUde coupling agent. The term living polymerisation refers to a chain polymerisation that proceeds in the absence of termination or transfer reactions. 

Fig. 5. Representative block copolymer structures, (a) Routes to SIS i, coupling reaction ii, sequential, (b) Three and four-arm SI stars, (c) (Sllih radial, (d) (SEB)2B2 radial.

Although the effective functionality of CISi-PaMeSt was less than one, attempts were made to obtain block copolymers by coupling with living polyisoprenyllithium and a,w-disodium polyisobutylene glycolate. These particular coupling reactions were selected because it is known that Si-Cl bonds readily react with organolithium compounds and sodium alkoxides43 45 . 

Anionic polymerizations are well suited for the synthesis of polymers fitted at chain end with reactive functions. Block copolymers can result from reactions between suitable functions carried by two different functional precursors. In some cases the carbanionic sites themselves are the reactive functions. In other cases, functional polymers (obtained anionically, or by other methods) can be reacted with low molecular weight coupling agents. Here are a few examples ... 

Nanometer size Pd colloids in block copolymer micelles of polystyrene polyvinylpyridine as catalysts have been used is a novel way by Klingelhofer for Heck reaction of C-C coupling of aryl halides with olefins. 

An interesting procedure has been proposed for the synthesis of amylose-b-PS block copolymers through the combination of anionic and enzymatic polymerization [131]. PS end-functionalized with primary amine or dimethylsilyl, -SiMe2H groups were prepared by anionic polymerization techniques, as shown in Scheme 56. The PS chains represented by the curved lines in Scheme 56 were further functionalized with maltoheptaose oligomer either through reductive amination (Scheme 57) or hydrosilyla-tion reactions (Scheme 58). In the first case sodium cyanoborohydride was used to couple the saccharide moiety with the PS primary amine group. 

The fullerene C o was used as the Unking agent for the synthesis of (PCHD-fc-PS)6 and (PS-fc-PCHD)6 star-block copolymers [154], The polymers were then aromatized with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-l,4-benzoquinone, DDQ, in 1,2-dichlorobenzene to yield the corresponding copolymers containing poly(l,4-phenylene) blocks. In order to achieve high 1,4-isomer contents and to avoid termination reactions, the polymerization of CHD was conducted in toluene at 10 °C without the presence of any additive to yield products with low molecular weights. Coupling of the PCHD-fo-PSLi to C60... 

An iterative approach involving coupling reactions of living anionic polymers followed by functionalization, leads to three generation homo- and block copolymers. [208]. The reactions used are shown in Scheme 115. 

The synthesis of block copolymers of polysaccharides and aliphatic polyesters has also been tried. But, many successful results were not reported because the reactivity of many hydroxyl groups on polysaccharides was an obstacle to the ROP of cyclic polyester or coupling reactions using terminal-activated polysaccharides. Li and Zhang reported the synthesis of maltoheptaose-b-PCL copolymers by ROP... 

They also synthesized polymeric iniferters containing the disulfide moiety in the main chain [149,150]. As shown in Eq. (30),polyphosphonamide,which was prepared by the polycondensation reaction of phenyl phosphoric dichloride with piperadine, was allowed to react with carbon disulfide in the presence of triethylamine, followed by oxidative coupling to yield the polymeric iniferter 32. These polymeric iniferters were used for the synthesis of block copolymers with St or MMA, with the composition and block lengths controlled by the ratio of the concentration of the polymeric iniferter to the monomer or by conversion. The block copolymers of polyphosphonamide with poly(St) or poly(MMA) were found to have improved flame resistance characteristics. 

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